What we investigated.

The resolution of a problem is the stimulus of the learning process.  We have a problem, and this is the first step in problem-based learning cycle as described in (Weller, 2011).  When a strange new noise emanates from your plumbing, you have set the context for some problem-based learning.  In a Heutagogical manner, a style of learning that is largely self-determined and self-directed (Hase & Kenyon, 2000 as cited in Anderson 2016), we set out to discover how to resolve the issue. Research started with a simple google search to determine likely causes for why there was an obnoxious sound that neighbors can probably hear when the toilet is refilling. After an hour or so of research, we were able to access group forums discussing the identical sound, advice on how to fix the problem, locations and prices of replacement parts, video tutorials that detailed the repair and even a downloadable technical manual.

What we found

What we found in our search on “noise when the toilet is refilling” is an abundance of material. Search results yielded multiple sources, and our assertion is that the information available meets the criteria of an abundance response (Weller, 2011).

The very first result returned was an SFGate article characterized by scare content and contrasted by a vast amount of advertisements on the page. SFGate was a blatant marketing redirection that promised relevant content but delivered marketing.  Other results were also commercial in nature but provided good quality expert instruction as a vehicle to drive sales of their replacement parts. We discovered subject matter in Wikis ,their advantage as described by (Anderson, 2016, p.45) is to extract knowledge and expertise which resides within The Do It Yourself (DIY) community. The search returned Blogs personal, professional and niche in the home improvement genre. Search results also yielded eBooks and plumbing curriculum standards and courses.  Ultimately the most helpful were the YouTube videos where we discovered very different ranges of production value. There was simple “Produsage” (Anderson, 2016, p.41) user-generated content. An example was Brian who produced a 4 minute home video including diagnoses and repair. Fluidmasters publishes very similar content but with transparent training aids and technical descriptive narratives. Both videos have the same goal in offering content in exchange a monetary consideration. Brian asks for donations, and Fluidmasters economic model as described in (Weller, 2011)  is giving away the digital artifact and charging for the physical replacement part to recoup the obvious higher production costs.

How confident are we in whether abundant content around your topic exists to enable you to learn about it.

Extremely confident by the availability of abundant information with a return of About 6,450,000 results in (0.33 seconds) as (Weller, 2011) describes an environment with data on an epic scale. Is this enough, or as (Anderson, 2016, p. 41) presents the massive amount of information challenges a user’s (learner) to develop judgment, comparison, and evaluation skills. Judgment means in our case, judging the validity of the sources.

The DIY movement is certainly not a casualty of scarcity.  As Weller (2011) writes, “when goods become digital and available online then scarcity disappears” (p. 225).  The ability to research, integrate, apply and then teach which Weller (2011) explains Boyer’s (1990) four components of scholarship as the process of creating understanding about a particular subject, has never been easier than it is today with the use of the internet.  Prior to unfettered digital information exchange, fixing the toilet would most certainly be the exclusive arena of the plumber who was one of the rare few to hold such scarce knowledge and expertise.

Even considering, as Weller (2011) points out, expertise may still be scarce, but the access to content surrounding the subject is absolutely prolific.  Given time and a willingness to participate in experimentation, one can learn mastery over a number of subjects with the abundant amount of content available.

 It was clear that there was an abundant amount of information available to enable the knowledge creation required to get the toilet diagnosed accurately, parts sourced and asynchronous tutelage from an expert, or at least an experienced practitioner, in the field; complete with step by step instruction to make the repair.  

What do we need to be equipped with to make use of this abundant content?

        In order to make use of the information, judgments on whether to trust the content and its validity with respect to our problem are left to the user. “Exploring pedagogies of abundance will be essential for educators to meet this challenge and equip their learners with the skills they need in an age of digital abundance.” (Weller, 2011) To equip ourselves with the reality of the abundance requires pedagogies for the 21rst century. These include as described in (Scott, 2015 p.1) critical thinking and the ability to communicate effectively, innovate, and solve problems through negotiation and collaboration. The only way to sift through the vast volume is to employ these skills.  To cope with the immense increase in the volume of information necessitates communication skill to reach out to peers, experts, and communities and interact with them to solve problems. To deal with the abundance requires people. Connectivism learning theory, as described in (Weller, 2011 p. 9 ), informs that learning rests in diversity and is a process of connecting specialized information sources and thus making these networks is a core skill. Making connection increases the validity of the information as the more similar the advice, the more trustworthy it appears.

As the instructor of said content, in what ways we can make use of this content in the following ways.

As Anderson (2016) points out, there are affordances in the digital age of abundance that are very advantageous for teaching.  These affordances are part of what Anderson (2016) identifies as “Net-Aware Theories of Learning (p. 40). Not only does the net allow for the consumer creation and sharing of resources, but Open Educational Resources (OER) also give rise to access to information that was once restricted to the classroom as well as cost prohibitive. The now low or no cost forms of synchronous and asynchronous communications tools allow teachers to connect to students regardless of location or socioeconomic status.  Through this capacity, students can form communities of practice to question and learn from one another. Along with these affordances of the net, come the affordances of the collective such as algorithms and bots that produce learning analytics and filter content to bring up what is most applicable to learning at the time (Anderson, 2016, p. 41). As Anderson (2016) points out “An increasing number of applications utilize autonomous agents (Liemhetcharat &Veloso, 2012; Sato, Azevedo, & Barthès, 2012, as cited in Anderson, 2016) to induce and support learning.”   The theory of Connectivism, as Anderson (2016) describes, helps us to see that participating in the community is a practice of learning in and of itself (p. 43). Assuming, as Weller (2011) asserts, that connectivism is truly a pedagogy of abundance, the net is the ideal classroom with a wealth of teaching as well as learning opportunities for all.

References

Anderson, T. (2016). Theories for Learning with Emerging Technologies. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771991490.01

Scott, C. L. (2015). Working papers preparing learners for the 21rst century. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002431/243126e.pdf

Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy (Vol. 249). Retrieved from http://revistadepedagogia.org/en/n